In 2022, 21 alleged members of an illegal wildlife trade network were arrested during search and seizure operations in Medellín (Antioquia), Magangué (Bolivar), Cali (Valle del Cauca), Piendamo (Cauca), Mosquera (Cundinamarca) and Bogotá. During the operations, the authorities rescued over 1,000 animals destined for sale in Colombia and abroad. The evidence suggested that this illicit organisation would hunt species in their natural habitat and then smuggle them to Medellín as packages on public buses and freight transport. The group allegedly used social media and private messaging groups – comprised primarily of collector and business owners – to sell the animals, providing photos of the different species. These included iguanas, ferrets, turtles, snakes, macaws, parrots, African hedgehogs, monkeys, deer, spectacled caimans, ocelots and endangered species. Alongside the photos, they listed the price, form of payment and delivery methods of each animal.